The Endless Night
by Sir Reagan Chap
Summary: The story of Gehrman, the First Hunter. A former scholar of Byrgenwerth who became a seasoned veteran of the hunt, he endured both the horrors of the night, and the heartbreak of a lost love.
1. I- The Departure

Chapter I

The Departure

The prestigious Byrgenwerth College stood silent as it was bathed in the light of the sunset. Most of the students had retired to their dorms for the night, and some of the wealthier students who lived in the city of Yharnam had gone home in their lavish horse drawn carriages. One young man, Gehrman, remained, sitting on a bench and gazing at the lake. For the sake of comfort, he had removed the long black coat of the Byrgenwerth uniform, leaving him in his normal scholar's attire. As he enjoyed the lake's serene beauty, he was approached by another student who emerged from the building where the provost's personal chambers and research hall were located.

"How did your talk with Provost Willem go, Laurence?" asked Gehrman.

"Not well," said Laurence with a hint of regret in his voice as he sat down. "He will never listen. He thinks that I am betraying him. I am thankful for his teachings, but I feel that I must expand the scope of the research that he started. Are you still coming with me?"

"Well," said Gehrman, "I'm not really interested in all of that. Elevating humanity to the glory of the gods is for someone with greater devotion to that cause than me. But regardless, I will go with you and help however I can. I just want to do the right thing."

"I understand," said Laurence. "There are many other students who feel the same, as well as those who share my ambition. Even Caryll is joining us. He says that he's going to complete his rune projects in Yharnam. Do you want to ask Maria to come with us?"

"Maria? Why?"

"I know you fancy her. I've seen the looks you give her and the way you talk to her. No need to be so shy about it. I don't blame you. She's a pretty and smart lady."

"Oh, I don't know," said Gehrman. "She's an important noble from Cainhurst Castle. I don't have a chance with her. I've accepted that."

"Don't feel so down about it. She respects you more than you think. We all saw how you handled that beast. We all know how tough a fighter you are. As a future soldier of Cainhurst, Maria surely sees that as something of worth. But regardless, don't worry about it. We'll be fine, as long as you help me achieve this dream."

"Perhaps," sighed Gehrman.

"I think that you should go and talk to Master Willem," said Laurence. "For all his faults, he at least deserves to know that you're coming with me. I'll go and get everything together."

Laurence rose from the bench and went to get his affairs in order, leaving Gehrman to the serenity of the lakeside. After a few minutes, Gehrman got up and walked into Master Willem's office. The building was cluttered with all manner of papers, tools, and research equipment. A staircase led up to the second floor, which had a small library. Sitting in a large, ornate rocking chair at a table near the bottom of the stairs was Master Willem, a middle aged gentleman wearing the elaborate white and blue robes that signified the provost of Byrgenwerth.

"Did Laurence talk to you?" questioned Willem.

"Yes," Gehrman answered. "He does not want to betray you. We are both grateful for all you have taught us, but you may have lost your way."

"How so?"

"How are we to finish your research if we do not make further use of the Old Blood?"

"You know very well, Gehrman. As I have pleaded with Laurence, I implore you, forget not the adage of Byrgenwerth."

"I know," said Gehrman. "Fear the Old Blood. But Master Willem, the Old Blood is the blood of the gods. When we discovered it in the labyrinth beneath Yharnam, we stumbled upon a great miracle."

"Ah, but that's just it," said Willem. "Though the Old Blood has remarkable healing properties, don't forget what happened to that test subject. He was cured of his illnesses, but we all saw what he became afterwards. You should know that better than anyone. You're the one who put him down."

"If you would only let Lauence perfect it, that would never happen," countered Gehrman. "There is still much to discover."

"The Old Blood is the easy way out. Whatever can be learned of that medium is not based on thought. I aim to elevate our thoughts to a higher plane. If you cannot understand that, then there is nothing left to say."

"Then," said Gehrman as he turned to leave, "I bid you farewell."

"Gehrman," said Willem. "I know that Laurence is your friend, and you want to help him. Please, don't let him lose himself. Never let him forget our adage. Fear the Old Blood."

"You have my word," assured Gehrman. "Goodbye, Master Willem."

* * *

 **Author's note: So yeah, my first Bloodborne fic. This was originally going to be a oneshot that explains my entire headcanon, but that would have felt extremely rushed. This should be much better. Now, there isn't really anything in the game that says that Gehrman was a scholar at Byrgenwerth, but that's the case in this story because he clearly knew Laurence and Willem personally. There's also nothing about Maria attending Byrgenwerth, but I felt that it would be a good way for her to know Gehrman. Besides, she obviously knew what happened at the fishing hamlet, so I will assume that she was associated with Byrgenwerth in some way. Just so you know, Gehrman's friendship with Laurence will be largely secondary to his romance with Maria. As I've said before, my update schedule is a joke, but I'm still trying to work on my other continuing stories, as well as a couple of other upcoming ones. Also, I need a name and gender for the player character, and I thought it would be worth it to let you guys decide that.**


	2. II- The Road to Yharnam

Chapter II

The Road to Yharnam

Gehrman returned to his dormitory and found that it was empty of all of his belongings, save for one set of clothing that Laurence had obligingly left behind. He removed his Byrgenwerth scholar uniform and donned his reddish-brown suit with a scarf, a faded green waistcoat, and a simple felt hat.

He went out to the gate of the college grounds, where Laurence, Caryll, and Maria waited next to a carriage. They had all forsaken their uniforms as well. Maria stood out in particular, wearing her expensive Cainhurst attire that looked reminiscent of an aristocratic soldier's uniform, and inspecting a large curved blade.

"Thank you for helping to pack the last of my things, Laurence," said Gehrman.

"Don't thank me," said Laurence. "Thank Maria. I had to help Caryll gather all of his runes."

"Thank you, Maria," said Gehrman. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"Oh, it was not a problem," said Maria with her strange accent from the eastern country in which Cainhurst was situated.

"And put that back with my luggage," chided Gehrman, gesturing towards the blade Maria was holding.

"But it's such a nice blade," said Maria with utter fascination. "Where did you get it?"

"I made it myself," said Gehrman. "I forged it out of siderite."

Maria looked surprised. "Really? Well, now we know what happened to the last of the college's siderite ore. Master Willem wanted it for something."

"Let's just forget that I ever said anything," said Gehrman. "What Willem doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Just put it back, Maria," said Caryll. "We must be going now."

Maria reluctantly put the blade back with the rest of the luggage. She, Gehrman, and Caryll got into the carriage while Laurence sat up front and took the reins.

"Does anyone here know the way to Yharnam?" asked Maria. "The woods are massive, and I got lost when I first came here."

"I think we all did," said Caryll. "But Laurence knows the way. At least, I think so."

Laurence gave a snap of the reins, and they were on their way. They went out from the main gates of the college and started their way down the paved road that led straight into a dense forest. By this point, the sun had gone down, and the forest was illuminated by the moon.

"Maybe we should have waited until morning to leave," said Maria.

"Laurence really couldn't take it anymore," said Caryll. "He told me that he refused to wait for this any longer."

As the carriage trundled along through the trees, the path steadily went uphill. When the companions looked back, they could just see Byrgenwerth beneath them.

Soon enough, the only one left fully awake was Laurence, who remained tireless in his purpose, while Gehrman and Caryll started to feel their eyelids becoming heavy. Maria had completely fallen asleep, and the only sound to be heard beside the horses' hooves and the night breeze was her gentle breathing.

Just as Gehrman was about to close his eyes, he noticed Maria stir slightly in her sleep, and he couldn't help but feel his gaze drawn to the Cainhurst noblewoman. She was pretty, almost uncomfortably so, with her pale, flawless skin, and her light blond hair tied back in an elegant ponytail.

While Gehrman was taking in Maria's beauty, Caryll took notice and started chuckling.

"What?" questioned Gehrman.

"It's just that..." Caryll sputtered through his laughter before he finally calmed down. "Oh, don't worry. I know what you're thinking about. I don't blame you. Wouldn't we all be considering it?"

Not entirely sure what to think or feel, Gehrman lowered his hat down over his eyes and drifted off.

Some number of hours later, when morning had come, Gehrman was awoken by the sound of Caryll laughing again, only this time he was laughing at Maria, who was now awake.

"Oh, you too?" said Caryll. "Joy of joys! This is rich."

"Enough of you," snapped Maria. "My personal affairs are mine to contemplate."

With that, Caryll ceased his teasing. Gehrman wondered what Maria had been doing to warrant Caryll's mocking.

The carriage came to a halt, and Gehrman, Maria, and Caryll got out. They stood before a great open gate, beyond which lay a grand city.

"Here we are!" exclaimed Laurence excitedly. "Behold: the city of Yharnam! This is where it shall begin. Together, my friends, we are going to lift humanity into its next childhood."

* * *

 **Author's note: Not a very eventful chapter, I know. The exciting stuff will hopefully be coming soon enough. Here, we see that Caryll caught Gehrman perving on Maria. This whole thing will escalate later, as we shall see. The blade that Maria was looking at is obviously the Burial Blade, but Gehrman hasn't gotten the idea to put it on a long haft yet.**

 **As you once did for stories you like, grant me reviews, grant me reviews. Post reviews on my story to cleanse my subpar writing.**


	3. III- The First Steps

Chapter III

The First Steps

After arriving in Yharnam, the former Byrgenwerth scholars set about finding places to stay. Laurence and Caryll arranged for a stay at a large inn that had only one room left available, so Gehrman and Maria chose to wander the busy streets and see what they could find, taking their own baggage with them.

"How well do you know Yharnam?" asked Gehrman as the two of them strolled down the road from the inn.

"Not very well," answered Maria. "The only time I've ever been here was when I was passing through on my way from Cainhurst. I'm not very familiar with the ins and outs of this place."

"Don't worry," said Gehrman. "I used to live here before I went to Byrgenwerth. I know a place where we can stay. We can just leave Laurence to his strange ramblings until he's ready to get to work."

They went on through the city. The streets twisted and wound their way through a huge maze of various buildings and led to bridges and walkways that made Yharnam seem very counterintuitive in design. Gehrman led Maria through a narrow alleyway, and they soon found themselves in a secluded area between the surrounding buildings, out of sight from any of the nearby streets. In the center of the area was an old, abandoned house surrounded by gardens that hadn't been taken care of in a long time.

"Here we are," said Gehrman. "I had several homes in Yharnam back when I was looking for work before going to Byrgenwerth. This was one of them."

They walked up the old garden's cobblestone pathway and entered the house. The small, dusty place had a few simple furnishings. There was a small fireplace, but it was cold and lifeless. The two companions put down their bags and sat down at a small table to rest.

"So, what now?" asked Maria.

"Whatever Laurence wants, I suppose," said Gehrman. "This whole thing was his idea to begin with. I imagine that we will need to go back into the old underground labyrinth to see if there is more blood to be found. Laurence only brought a few blood samples with him, and some of them are tainted. We certainly don't want to be performing transfusions with tainted blood, even if it is the blood of the Great Ones."

"Speaking of transfusions," said Maria, "what exactly happened to that... unfortunate case at Byrgenwerth? Does anyone know the full details of what caused it?"

"I don't know," said Gehrman. "The subject was terribly ill before the project began. When it was discovered that the Old Blood had amazing healing properties, he was the obvious choice for a first test subject. A few days after the transfusion, Laurence was prepared to declare the experiment a total success. But just as the boy was well again, you could see what happened. I know I did. It happened so suddenly. His limbs lengthened, hair grew all over his body, and his pained screams turned to horrific, inhuman snarls. He was no longer himself. He was a beast, and I felt such sorrow. It hurt me to do what I did, but I didn't know what else could be done."

"You did the right thing," assured Maria. "He had become a threat to everyone who came near. It was very brave of you to go into that room when nobody else would. And you did it so quickly, too."

"I did it quickly because I didn't want him to suffer any longer," said Gehrman. "Even though he put up a fight, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him."

"And are we to assume that the Old Blood is what caused it?" asked Maria.

"Maybe. Perhaps it was one of the tainted blood samples. There's no real way of knowing without further research."

"Then it's just as well that we go back into the labyrinth," said Maria. "But I say that we should use caution this time."

"Why is that?" asked Gehrman. "Nothing bad happened in there last time. You don't think it's dangerous, do you?"

"Possibly," said Maria. "Let us examine the evidence. It's apparent that the labyrinth is the tomb that was carved from the earth by the ancient civilization of Pthumeru. Now, even some people unfamiliar with the history of Cainhurst Castle have made assertions that Annalise, the queen of Cainhurst Castle, is ageless. Well, that's true. She is immortal. But what few people outside of Cainhurst know is that Queen Annalise is distantly related to Pthumerian royalty, possibly even to Queen Yharnam, the namesake of this city. Thus, it can be extrapolated that she owes her immortality to her Pthumerian heritage, and so it can be assumed that the Pthumerian rulers were also immortal, and that they live on within the tombs."

"Then why was it abandoned when Provost Willem sent us there?"

"We didn't search the entire labyrinth. There is still much left unexplored. I'm worried that the old rulers of Pthumeru will be unhappy with someone disturbing their tombs, so we should be prepared to defend ourselves. That responsibility falls to you and me. I'm expected to become a guard of Annalise, and you've been teaching yourself to fight your entire life. Haven't you?"

"Yes," said Gehrman. "Yharnam can be a rough place at times. That's how I was able to handle the incident at Byrgenwerth. While I am convinced that the labyrinth is uninhabited, I will bring my blade just in case, if it makes you feel at ease. I assume you have a weapon of your own?"

Maria opened one of her bags and took out a sheathed sword. Unlike Gehrman's blade, it had a proper guard and pommel. While it was curved, the curvature was not as extreme as that of Gehrman's blade, and it was much narrower.

"This type of sword is the Cainhurst chikage," said Maria. "I absolutely hate it."

Gehrman nearly burst out laughing at Maria's bluntness. "Then why did you bring it?"

"It's the weapon of the guards of the Queen," Maria explained. "The reiterpallasch, which I greatly prefer, is for standard Cainhurst knights. They wouldn't let me take one of those, so I'm stuck with this thing."

"What's so bad about it?" asked Gehrman.

"It utilizes an arcane power to increase its killing potential, which would be great if that power weren't directly linked to the life force of the wielder. I've fought with this sword, and while even small cuts with it can be deadly, I feel so drained when using it. The reiterpallasch is so much better, you have no idea. Unlike the chikage, the reiterpallasch's effectiveness depends only on your skill."

"Don't worry," said Gehrman. "Trust me, you're not going to have to use it. Even if the Pthumerian royals are still alive, they've long since left the labyrinth. Tomorrow, we'll meet up with Laurence and Caryll, and we'll go from there."

* * *

 **Author's note: Walking and talking, standing and talking, sitting and talking, standing and then sitting down for more talking, people talking in a room. And they're always talking. I promise that this whole fic isn't going to be like this. The exciting stuff starts in the next chapter. By the way, I still want you people to give me a name and gender for the player character, if you would be so kind.**

 **There was one review asking if Vicar Amelia would be in the story, and the answer is maybe, but not until much later. This point in the story is long before Amelia's lifetime. And I really would like to include her. She's my second favorite boss fight in the game, next to Gehrman, and I think that there's a lot of potential for expanding her character.**


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